Dental composites are well known in dentistry and are widely used as restorative materials (filling composites) or as cements (resin cements) in the prosthodontic field. Generally composites are hydrophobic in nature and contain as main parts of the formulation inorganic fillers, a (meth)acrylate based resin matrix and initiators for the radical polymerization.
To get adhesion to enamel and dentin, composites typically require a pre-treatment of the tooth surface by using a bonding agent or a bonding system. This may result in a rather complex and time consuming procedure. Therefore attempts were made to develop self-adhesive composites which avoid the use of an additional bonding agent/system resulting in materials which are easier and faster to use for the dentist.
In the prosthodontic area self-adhesive resin cements are well established materials in the meantime. A commercially available product is e.g. RelyX™ Unicem (3M ESPE). These materials are formulated as two-component systems.
Two-component systems are not always easy to apply and use. Thus, it is generally desirable to have a one-component system.
In the restorative area also a self-adhesive, light-curable, one-component composite material recently appeared on the market (Vertise™ Flow, Kerr Company).
EP 2 153 811 A2 (Kerr) relates to a single-part, light-curable, self-adhering dental restorative composition comprising three different polymerizable monomers, a photo-initiator and one or more fillers.
US 2004/0110864 (Hecht et al.) describes self-adhesive compositions. If the composition is cured by photopolymerization it is possible to formulate one-component systems. If the composition comprises a redox initiator system comprising e.g. an organic peroxide and activator then for reasons of storage stability peroxide and activator are present in spatially separated parts.
In a particular example a composition is described with an initiator system, which can comprise sodium toluene sulfinate, sodium peroxodisulfate, a barbituric acid derivative and copper acetate.
JP 2011-121869 relates to a chemical polymerization catalyst composition for dental curable materials comprising an aryl borate compound, acidic compound, inorganic peroxide and bivalent copper compound. The system is formulated as a two-component system.